President's Report
When I arrived (I was late; you can read a full summary of the President's Report at NYC Educator), President Michael Mulgrew was talking about Empire Center and their goal to weaken UFT and NYSUT. Their goal is to get a 20% membership drop after Supreme Court decides Janus case. We won't let that happen. Lowest percentage of agency fee payers ever. Will try to get to new people fast.
Crap will be coming after Janus, "Give yourself a raise; quit the union." We have union cards ready. We will only send them to union members. UFT app coming on phones. Discounts are a main feature. Big chains coming to us including food chains and funeral homes. Tech stuff is coming. Face to face conversations, people thanking us when we come to their doors, very important. Our strategy is to tell members union busters are coming to harm you.
If not for Janus, we would be more energetic on new chancellor. We did not want someone from DOE to be new chancellor. Got rid of Bloomberg, but people stayed in place at DOE.We wanted an outsider. Got it with Carranza.
Staff Director's Report
Leroy Barr gave a bunch of dates. Next DA April 18.
Mulgrew came back and said we will amp up paid family leave campaign with some of our city council friends.
Question Period
Question: Someone from saved closing school asking if we can not have to go to principal to go to NYSUT convention or lobby day?
Answer: Principals in Principal's Weekly told to release chapter leaders for Lobby Day
Q Teacher from Bryant asked about teachers in low performing schools being overworked while those in high performing schools seemed relaxed.
A Mulgrew started teaching Advanced Placement class. It wasn't for him. Went to low performing school and it was better. High school teachers think elementary school teachers have it easy. Found out when President how difficult elementary school teachers work. He couldn't do their job. Use open market if not happy.
Q Difference between paid family leave and parental leave?
A NYS first state to have paid family leave in law in private sector. Can't cost out paid family leave as there are no precedents. City wants a fortune for paid family leave. City worries about covering classes. We think it is a moral issue. Trying to do both family and parental leave.
Q People need a union membership card to show it is same as doing it electronically?
A We will get that out.
Q Denying PD?
A It might be an administrator problem
Q Custodian in Delegate's school saying budget has been cut. Might not even have enough toilet paper to last the year?
A City cutting custodial budget. DOE headcount rising in admin offices. We will look into this.
Motion Period
For next month: 50% of meeting time at Delegate Assembly for motions, questions and discussion.
Discuss things in depth. Nobody spoke against. It is on next month's agenda as it was voted up.
Reso not to endorse anyone from Independent Democratic Conference.
IDC gives Republicans control of Senate where Assembly bills go to die. IDC blocking good bills. We have supported IDC people.
Speaker against was Paul Egan from Unity who said IDC has been a stopgap on certain issues and helped with community schools. This is an internal Democratic Party fight. We have no business in that fight. Reso voted down but got some strong support.
Special Order of Business
Resolution on safe and supportive schools. Someone had a substitute resolution to give supports to help schools. (I was informed the person working on this resolution with the UFT leadership was from Educators for Excellence which angered some people as the UFT leadership is willing to work with this anti-union group and not pro union dissidents within the union.)
Nobody spoke against bringing substitute resolution and it passed.
Resolution on supporting I am 2018. Standing in solidarity with working people from Memphis. Fiftieth anniversary of when Martin Luther King was killed when he was supporting sanitation men on strike some of whom were finally made hole almost fifty years later. It passed unanimously.
Resolution celebrating 58th birthday of UFT. Mel Aaronson had people there who were there back then stand. It passed unanimously.
Resolution to strengthen UFT in the face of Janus. It passed unanimously.
Resolution on gun safety passed unanimously.
Resolution on providing gender neutral restrooms at UFT. Helps families as well as LGBTQ community. It carried.
Resolution on getting C4E funds to reduce class size. NYC getting money from C4E settlement to reduce class size but they don't use it to lower class sizes. It carried.
Reso on Puerto Rico to stand with teachers union there. It carried.
That's all folks except to say sign the petition to get rid of the teacher evaluation system. We're over 500 and counting..
Oh great, now Mulgrew has another boogeyman to use as an excuse for not doing his job. Some rich turds run a few ads and Mulgrew will claim he had to give up our contract in negotiations because “now is not the time” to fight, and, aw shucks, Bill de Blasio is so nice to us.
ReplyDeleteGood point 8:49.
ReplyDeleteAnd if not happy, simple, use the open market. What a fuckin asshole.
ReplyDeleteGot that right.
ReplyDeleteHey Mikey,
ReplyDeleteAtr since 2012. Last summer, I applied via the open market to 100 schools. I emailed every principal. Guess what? 3 bs interviews that lead to nothing.
When I told Uft this, a mulgrew shill(arundell) said ‘well maybe these schools weren’t the right fit’
How much is de blasio giving mulgrew in unmarked hundreds?
He has to be on the take.
The Chancellor is against hiring ATRs because they are too expensive.
DeleteThey want inexperienced uncertified fellow teachers.
DeleteThe UFT is selling a very expensive discount card. 40% will opt out, minimum.
ReplyDeleteOPEN MESSAGE TO MIKE MULGREW: Hey Mike, I promise I will keep paying dues if you get us 2 observations and eliminate Danielson. Otherwise I am keeping my hard earned money and will put it in a savings account in case I ever need a lawyer for 3020a.
ReplyDeleteI would never pay dues, and yes, im putting my money where my mouth is. I will be quitting on June 26, at under 40 years old. I will be losing my salary, retro, medical, sick bank, tda, 457b, pension, social security. Yes, its that bad.
ReplyDeleteIf you got 10 years you are vested for medical and will get a very small pension. And yes, I know it is that bad. I’ve been in the DOE for 23 years. I feel ya’.
ReplyDeleteI understand, i mean im going from 100k salary and then 100k pension to zero salary and a 15k pension 20 years from now. And i would completely lose my medical now.
ReplyDelete@7:48 but regaining your peace of mind, sense of self while decreasing your stress level is priceless. I wish you Godspeed.
DeleteThe reason the shithole schools exist is because there are people willing to give up their dignity and health to work there. If they could not staff those sewers you could bet they would be in there cleaning it up, and fast.
ReplyDeleteExplain this...I look at jupiter grades, student is missing 7 out of 7 assignments yet has a 70 in the class.
ReplyDeleteJupitergrades doesn’t count blanks as zeros. Enter an actual zero for those assignments. . . Of course, if you do that, the Principal will come observe you the next day in retaliation. Probably better to just leave the 70. It’s not too high, and not too low. Kid won’t act up, parents won’t blame you, Principal leaves you alone, Mayor is happy because another kid is on track to “graduate.” Seriously, don’t go getting crazy with ideas that we’re supposed to teach anything. That kind of thinking will get you fired. A 70 is juuuuust right.
DeleteThe comment that talked about the automatic 70 grade is a great comment about the state of education in too many schools in 2018. The automatic 70 does the kid no good at all in the long run.
DeleteContract is up very soon, new chancellor, and city has lots of money! Looks like we should get things going!!!
ReplyDeleteDissolve ATR pool now, end student unfair funding, end Mindless PDs, better teacher evaluation process, ask for a nice raise, treat teachers with respect, etc!!!!!!!
Dont expect an on time contract. The precedent has already been set. Work without a
ReplyDeletecontract for 5 years, then the city is broke,then you love 1% raises and you wait 6 years to receive back pay, with 0% interest.
The UFT has already proven that this is acceptable so why the hell would the city not play that again?
7:39 is right. We have no leverage until we are ready for job actions.
DeleteUnless the UFT does something positive for ATRs, most of us will stop paying dues. This also includes most veteran teachers that can be turned into ATRs or terminated very easily.
ReplyDeleteWeaken NYSUT ??? If it were any weaker it would be non existent . That would probably be an improvement. Let's be honest here NYSUT Is only the statewide local of the UFT. A discount card. What a laugh ! We should pay all this money in dues to get a five dollar discount at an amusement park. I should pay union dues for that. What a joke. I hear out on Long Island there is an organization called LIFE which was formed to counter all this and be ready for a world without NYSUT. Is it true that it has now grown to nearly thirty locals ?
ReplyDeleteGet in touch with us Long Island educators.
DeleteMike Sill said no ATR buyout is being discussed
ReplyDeleteHow would Mike Shill know? Every fucking thing that Mr.Bean clone has told me has been wrong.
ReplyDeleteI asked, he answered.
ReplyDeleteYou think he would have told you if there were talk going on? No covers his ass.
ReplyDeleteAmy Arundell didn't say a word about any ATR buyout last year during negotiations. We got no head's up that it might be on the way. While it was being discussed in private, she was encouraging us to get appointed so we would not be eligible to receive the money. I addressed this with her.
ReplyDelete